technology

Irene was diagnosed with hearing loss after a viral infection in 2010. After five years with the Baha Intenso sound processor, she upgraded to the Baha 5 Power and is thrilled she did.

Irene works teaching children, which can be a challenging task with a hearing loss. For anyone, trying to get children to speak slowly and clearly — and to be patient with the listener — can be tough. But now that Irene has upgraded to the Baha 5 Power sound processor, she said she can hear the children at her primary school more clearly.

Irene, 31, was diagnosed with hearing loss after a viral infection in 2010. After she got her implant surgery, she was fitted first with the Baha Intenso sound processor. Five years later, she upgraded to the Baha 5 Power and is thrilled she did.

Watch this video to see more of Irene’s story about why she chose to upgrade:

The Baha SoundArc is the newest hearing solution for people who live with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss or single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD). It is the world’s first non-surgical, behind-the-head bone conduction hearing device, specially designed for children who are not ready for a bone conduction implant and adults who want to trial bone conduction in everyday situations.

Whether you’ve got a SoundArc already or you’re ready to learn more about it, these how-to videos give great tips on how you can get the most out of the SoundArc.

The Baha SoundArc comes in a range of sizes and features your choice between a variety of coloured tips, where available. You can choose to match your clothing, your hair or your mood. Choose between black, grey or brown tips to discreetly match hair color — or opt instead for green, pink or turquoise tips to add style to an outfit. Watch the first video below to learn how to change the coloured tips.

Don’t worry, your hearing care professional will ensure your Baha SoundArc has the proper fit when you first try it on. Still, this next video is a useful reference for when you need to take it off and put it back on throughout your demo period, or if you or your child is wearing it for a longer term. Watch the video below to learn how to properly wear the SoundArc.

If you are wearing two sound processors on your SoundArc, your hearing care professional will set up your SoundArc for bilateral use. You can refer to this last video if you need to adjust or remove the connector discs for any reason during the period you will be wearing the device. Watch the video below to learn how to assemble the Baha SoundArc for bilateral use.

LEARN MORE:Click here to read more about the Baha SoundArc, ideal for use as a demo device, or for children not yet ready for an implant.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes as Cochlear develops the latest hearing tech? If you’re curious about the new Baha SoundArc, Cochlear’s newest non-surgical bone conduction solution, look no further. In the two videos below, the teams behind the SoundArc describe the challenges and successes of this totally new design.

In the first video, listen to Henrik Fyrlund (Senior Project Engineer Technology Development), Stefan Magnander (Senior Mechanical Engineer) and Fredrik Boivie (NPI Project Leader) describe the challenges of designing the SoundArc as well as key moments in its development.

In part two, watch Linnea Agostino (Product Manager) and Jenny Andersson (Clinical Research Audiologist) talk about some of the features that make the SoundArc special when compared to other non-surgical bone conduction solutions.

LEARN MORE:Click here to read more about the Baha SoundArc, ideal for use as a demo device, or for children not yet ready for an implant.

Some people have said to me that with a disability, following your dreams is so much harder, if not impossible. But boy, did I prove those people wrong.

My name is Tom de Beer – I’m a 21-year-old IT student from the Netherlands, and I also blog about tech. I currently hold two diplomas from community college: one in IT Support Engineering, and one in Network Engineering. I am now continuing my studies in IT & Business at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. I am also the Editor-in-Chief at Dutch Tech Blog, where I write about Apple and other major tech companies like Microsoft, Intel, Synology and more. I have worked with different PR organisations to improve the quality of my content as well. I really enjoy what I’m doing in my life. But I won’t lie. It hasn’t been very easy to get where I am right now.

I was born with severe to profound hearing loss on both sides. I did not get hearing aids as a baby because it took a few years before doctors found out what caused my hearing loss. From that point I was given the benefit of electronic devices that have helped me hear.

My first hearing devices were the so-called ‘Behind-the-Ear’ (BTE) hearing aids, which I got when I was two or three years old. And they did help me to communicate with people. But I often had issues with them, one of them being that the ear pieces got constantly ‘blocked’ by an excess of ear wax my ears were producing.

I knew I wanted a solution that was more discreet. Being able to wear hearing devices without them being 100% visible doesn’t make me feel as ‘paranoid’ anymore about what people might think of me. I know what you’re thinking: “You shouldn’t have to feel ashamed of your hearing loss!” And believe me, I’m definitely not ashamed of my hearing disability. In fact, I am proud to be sharing my story.

Fast-forward to 2012, I had my annual hearing test and my audiologist mentioned something called the Cochlear Baha System. I had no idea what he was talking about. He explained to me that what made it different is the process of bone conduction: how sound travels through the bones of my skull to my cochlea. It sounded very interesting. So I went looking for more information, and finally decided to ask my ear specialist for his thoughts about it. He said a Baha System could really help improve my hearing experience. After some consideration, I finally went for it and decided to get an implant and abutment for the Baha Connect System on my left side.

In 2013 I received my very first bone anchored sound processor, after having tested two of them. I wasn’t too happy with the first one. The sound did not feel natural to me and the device felt bulky and heavy. The second one, a Baha 3 (BP110) Power was a different story. I immediately started hearing sounds I wouldn’t have heard before – for example tapping on the desk with your fingertips. I also heard conversations in certain situations better wearing this device. As exaggerated as it may sound, the experience felt like a miracle.

Two years after my first surgery, I went under the knife again to get a second implant on my right side, because I felt like I was missing something. I got the Baha 4 Sound Processor. What I found cool about it was that it supported some accessories that allow for connecting with your mobile phone.

Bilateral recipient Tom de Beer wears his Baha 3 Power on his left side and his Baha 4 Sound Processor on his right side. Submitted photo.

Late 2017, I realised that it had been 4 and a half years since I received my first Baha processor, and it was time for an upgrade. I read about the Baha 5 family of sound processors, and I learned that they had ‘Made for iPhone’ technology. Obviously, as a tech nerd and a big Apple fan I absolutely needed that one. So I contacted my audiologist to ask him about my options. He told me I couldn’t upgrade until July, but he proposed trying one out for a few weeks. And of course I wanted to do that!

As I am writing this, I am wearing the Baha 5 Power on my left side. It is a phenomenal device. Of course, the sound quality is great. In fact, voice quality has notably improved over its predecessor. For me, another major compelling reason to upgrade is that ‘Made for iPhone’ technology I just mentioned. Setting it up is very easy, and everything else is incredibly seamless. Audio is automatically streamed to my sound processor, and I can even use my phone as a microphone. Being able to see the battery percentage of the device is a nice touch as well. Using the Baha 5 Smart app I can even adjust the low and high tones. I appreciate that bit of customisability.

But how is my daily experience? Let me start by saying that the obvious struggles are there. There are lots of moments where I have no idea what somebody is saying, and I don’t dare to ask them to repeat something. Especially if it has to be more than a few times. Luckily, in most situations people show respect for my disability and try to make me feel as comfortable as needed.

My parents, family and close friends have always supported me in a way that one might dream of. And not just when it comes to my hearing loss, but also in my ambitions to become whatever I want to become. That is also where I have proved many people wrong: that in spite of my hearing loss I still got where I wanted to be. And I haven’t even finished yet!

Tom de Beer, 21, is a tech student and blogger from the Netherlands. You can find Dutch Tech Blog at dutch-tech.nl.

Baha user Dennis Klatte 65, lost his hearing at the age of 60 due to an acoustic neuroma. The removal of the tumour left him completely deaf on the right side.

“I rather foolishly asked, ‘Is there a chance that the nerve will grow back?’ and after they were done laughing, they said no,” Dennis recalls with a wry smile. “So the option was the Baha solution. When the ENT doctor put the little Baha sound processor on a headband and held it against my head – it was amazing, I could hear what he was saying even when he had his back to me. My wife just looked at my face and immediately understood that I could hear.”

The new Baha 5 Power Sound Processor is ideal for people like Dennis who need more power, with hearing loss up to 55 dB SNHL. Compared to the previous generation (the Baha BP110 Power), it offers longer battery life, wireless capabilities including Made for iPhone support, and the design is totally new.

When trying it on for the first time, Dennis was favourably impressed; “It looks sleek. It looks nice. I like that the battery door is all self-contained.”

The Baha 5 Power comes in five colours, the same as the Baha 5 Sound Processor, so you can choose a colour to match your hair. Dennis opted for the silver colour to blend in with his hair.

Some of the features in this amazingly smart power sound processor are:

Question: Hello, I am getting ready to get my new Baha 5 Sound Processor fitted next month, and I am wondering if I need a phone clip to pair my iPhone to my sound processor to talk and stream music from my phone? Please help I’m not sure how the new technology on the new Baha sound processor works.

Thanks a million, talk to you soon. //Keyaira

Answer: Dear Keyaria,

Congratulations on getting the Baha 5 Sound Processor!

With it, you can stream audio and phone calls directly from your iPhone, as long as it is a newer model (iPhone 5 or iPhone 6) without the need to use the Cochlear Wireless Phone Clip.

If your Baha 5 Sound Processor is paired, has a live battery, and is turned on, it will automatically connect once you start the Baha 5 Smart App. When the app is connected for the first time, it may need additional time to read required data from your sound processor.

Question: Do you know when or if the Baha 5 Sound Processor will be able to stream directly to Android phones like it does for the iPhone? I have the phone clip which streams to my Samsung Galaxy S5, but I would like the Baha 5 Sound Processor to stream directly to my Android phone, so I do not have the hassle of remembering to possess and turn on the phone clip.

Thank you. // James

Answer: Dear James, thank you for your question.

Currently, only Apple offers the technology to stream audio directly to a Baha sound processor. To stream sound and take phone calls from an Android phone you need the Cochlear Wireless Phone Clip.

The Baha 5 Sound Processor can also be controlled from an Android phone using the Cochlear Baha Control App. If you don’t already have the app installed, download it here:

The Baha® Blog is written by the team at Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB (Cochlear)|Opinions expressed in the Twitter feed and in any related comments reflect the personal opinions of the original authors, not those of Cochlear|The Baha® Blog and Cochlear are not responsible for the content or opinions expressed in external sites |In the United States and Canada, the placement of a bone-anchored implant is contraindicated in children below the age of 5|Please note that not all products mentioned are available in all countries